#etsy has been more and more of a disappointment since it got bought out

[mysteriousvoidbeing]

Etsy Sucks

An unfortunate announcement to have to make, but Etsy will not let me list the piece I made in solidarity with Palestine. I've tried taking out any words or phrases that might cause problems, but it will not let me post the listing. I do still plan on announcing the Etsy once I feel comfortable, because I do need the income right now, but my plan to code my own website is being expedited because of this.

For now, I'm thinking of remedying this by posting it here and sending the file to anyone who asks with a tip, but I'm not sure. For anyone interested, I'll keep you updated!

[helium-rambles]

My Favorite Perfumes

Ahh, thank you!! Excuse to ramble!

First off @moth-time YES! They are SO much nicer than alcohol, in my opinion. They make some oil perfumes that are still sprays, but I go for the ones that are roll on or just dabbed onto the skin. Sprays have a tendency to stick to clothes and thus last longer and have more projection, over something just on the skin that will evaporate from your body heat.

I shop indie perfumes as it's easier to find oil based ones (and it's usually significantly cheaper!)

Of all the indie perfumes houses I've tried, so far my favorite is Cherry-ka's Trunk on Etsy. They make fragrances inspired by fandoms and horror tropes and the wild west and overall are just really cool. I found them by looking up a fandom thing on etsy and was confused as to why a fragrance showed up. Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I tried some, and have been in love ever since.

I've now sampled 55 of their scents. Of those, I have destashed 17 of them to my roommate, am currently sampling 7, and the rest I liked enough to finish up the sample and some I'll full-size (or have already full-sized). Also worth noting that they're gender-inclusive! All their scents are for people of any gender! (Some indie perfumers tend to label feminine or masculine or unisex perfumes, which is apparently an indicator for people who are into mainstream perfumes to get an idea of a scent profile. But as someone who doesn't have the baseline knowledge of what that means, I feel a little off-put on trying some of those scents.)

My absolute favorite from Cherry-ka's Trunk (and of every fragrance I've ever tried) is Flying which has notes of fir, mint, and florals. This is also the one that taught me about resting oils. When I first got it, it pretty much just smelled like mint to me. I liked it (in fact, I will wear almost anything with mint in it) but it was pretty plain mint. Then as I used up the sample, the other notes became more pronounced. When you first apply it, it's still mostly mint, but the florals add some sweetness to it, and as the scent dries down, there is the astringent woody quality of the fir.

I didn't even notice the change as I used up the sample, but once I finished the sample, I found myself missing it so I bought a full-size. When I finally got it in the mail I was disappointed to sniff it and only get mint. Why did I want to full-size this again? I put it at the back of my perfumes and forgot about it for a month, only to try it again and be like WOW! I LOVE THIS! I waited until I used up my 5ml to purchase another, and I regretted waiting it, because I had to wait another month for it to become as beautiful as it gets. Next time, I'm ordering as soon as my bottle starts running low!

Other ones I've full sized from them are...

Pronounced (metal, green tea, paint, musk ) This smells strongly of metal to begin with! If you do not like the scent of metal, I don't recommend this. The metal fades away into a beautiful musk. I'm addicting to their musk. It's not an overy dirty musk, nor the laundry detergent musk. I don't know what type of musk it is, but I know I'm the most attractive person alive while wearing it. Oddly enough, I've found this is a summer scent for me.

Two Queens (lavender, coffee, musk, aftershave) Honestly, I got this for the coffee note, but don't smell any coffee in this. I do get a very herbal lavender, that reminds my of motel linen (fitting because of the inspiration for this perfume) and it dries down into that amazing musk. This musk is a little brighter(?) than Pronounced but still very good. I huff this scent until my nose wears out.

Conman (chamomile, blueberry, muguet) This blueberry.....I usually find blueberries too tart and sour, but this smells the way I want blueberries to taste. It's sweet, but not sugary. It's nicely supported by the herbiness of the chamomile. Kinda like a dried grass smell. I'm also very tickled by the name of this. I'm unfamiliar with the character it's based on, but I wear this when I want my own conman confidence.

And I will cut my rambles there for now! I'm not sure if this answers the question of what sorts are my favorites, cuz the only real pattern I've noticed in my collection is that I like mint and (some) musks. And I like metal and leather scents for summer. Thanks again for the excuse to ramble!

[morestoriesthandolls]

I meant to post this yesterday but I crashed before I was able to proofread it. Also please ignore the state of my nails, trimming them is a sensory nightmare and I have a bad habit of putting it off for too long.

These are the dolls I got from eBay. The first group is a batch of five, the listing said MH but two weren't - still bought it since the dolls looked nice.

I was disappointed that this Draculaura was a post-reboot doll with less articulation but a doll's a doll. Her head is on super loose and loves to look backwards. Looking at her with fresh eyes it looks like her head might have been pressed down too low, so I might be able to fix that?

2008 Clawdeen, her joints are super loose and handling her scares me because of that.

Mermaid Toralei, unfortunately missing her back fins but otherwise in good enough condition.

Madeline Hatter from EAH, I couldn't get her coat off without ripping her hands out but thankfully they snap right back in. The sculpted on leggings and gloves are... interesting. I can work with that though.

A Barbie. Love the scrubs but the face is a pretty small canvas to work with.

I also bought a single head on eBay so I could have a fitting sculpt to work with.

Casta Fierce, listed as for OOAKs only. Probably chopped the hair off to dissuade collectors from buying, feels pretty spiteful tbh. Plus I could have saved that hair to use on a different OOAK, I'm thrifty! Still, it's a more mature face with a more neutral expression, just what I needed.

I had one more order arrive today yesterday, though not from eBay.

Hair for my first project, from RestoreDoll.com. The photos on their site aren't too good, the blue is darker than I expected, but I still ended up with a perfect color combo!

Lastly, I bought some dolls at a thrift shop thinking my my orders wouldn't arrive a day early in order to give myself something to do today yesterday.

No known brand and minimal articulation, but their face sculpts are pretty cute and their dresses would be too if made of nicer materials. They're only a tad bigger than the other dolls I bought, so tweaking patterns between the sets won't be too hard.

All in all a good haul. I do have an order coming in from Etsy, including supplies I couldn't find in stock anywhere else but I didn't order at the time to avoid breaking the picket line, and hair for a project I didn't think of until later.

EDIT: @spooky-pens​ has IDed the last trio of dolls as Hairdorables, big thank you to them!

[sdpup7]

A Pup’s Tale

Chapter 8

Over the course of the week, Master controls me from a distance. Since we are not yet ready to meat up (at least I’m not), Master tells me to follow various orders throughout the week.

At first, his commands are simple and almost silly.

Sit on the floor like a good slave you are. Furniture is for Master.

So, I sit on the floor. Of course, I don’t always do this. Master doesn’t know. I sit on the floor when prompted, but otherwise I still sprawl out on the couch or other furniture

However, its becoming more like a game. I don’t mind moving to the floor when reminded.

What did I say about furniture, boi?

That’s what I am now. Boi or pup. I like that. It is almost like a pet name you see couples with.

Things escalate as days go on. He starts asking what sort of gear I have.

What kind of gear?

Bondage/pup play/kinky gear. Any gear.

None really.

That was true. Though I do have a pair of purple fuzzy cuffs that I recieved as a gag gift for Christmas one year.

Download Etsy. Hmmm what sort of gear should you start with?

At first I am a little annoyed. What? Does he expect me to buy things too? Then, I think about it. I have been wanting to own “gear” of my own. I just need the push to do it.

Immediately, he answers his own question.

I want you to buy a collar. Purple. This.

He sends a screenshot photo. The collar looks beautiful: a deep purple with soft, fuzzy cloth on the inside. I get shivers.

Yes, Master.

Good.

I download Etsy and set up my account. I don’t know how to find that exact collar so I type in “purple human pup collar” to the search bar. I have dozens of results pop up. As I scroll through the options, I get lost in a horny trance. Soon, I find what Master has requested. The price states $20. I could afford that.

When I go to click on the buy options, I see that I could buy even more: wrist and ankle restraints, a harness, a hood, and even a tail. My mouth is drooling. I make an impulsive decision and buy them all!

I bought it, Master.

I don’t want to tell him about the extra toys—not yet, anyway.

Good, pup. Now, are you on the floor like a good pet?

A few days go by. I continue to message Master with glee, even participate in some embarrassing acts.

The day after I order my pup gear off Etsy, Master tells me that it is time for another “test”.

I easily agree and wait for instructions.

I want you to shave.

Easy. Done and done, Master. I am always clean shaven. I can’t even grow that good of facial hair.

No. Not your face. I want you to shave your privates. Smooth.

I’ve never shaved down there. Sure, I do some trim work—some light manscaping, but never have I fully cleaned myself that way. Ah, what the heck. I’ll try it. Besides, I’m a bit intrigued by how it will feel when I’m done.

Yes, Master. Right away.

I wait for his obligatory response. Three . . . two . . . one . . .

Good.

I stand up off the floor and march towards the bathroom. Then, I stop and think. I want to try something.

I get back on the floor, on my hands and knees and start crawling like a dog. The carpet is soft enough. This is an odd sensation, a new perspective on my living room. Master calls me pup, right? I might as well act like one every now and then. 

A new sensation washes over me. I feel . . . I don’t know . . . a little proud that I am doing this on my own. I’ll have to tell Master about this later.

I make it to the bathroom and get back up on my feet. I pull out my razor, shaving cream, and a towel, stripping myself naked.

I stare at the shaver, then the cream, then my nuts.

“Okay,” I say aloud. “Here we go.”

Thirty minutes later, I finish. (I know what you’re thinking. Yes, it did take a long while. To be fair, I got a little shave crazy once I started working on my cock and balls.)

I loved how smooth my skin was down there once I finished. I didn’t want to stop. Once I finished with my package, I moved on to my chest, then my armpits. Finally, I worked up the courage and excitement to shave my ass! All smooth now, super smooth. Well, with a few exceptions for my butt area. It was difficult to do for my first time.

I did it, Master. I shaved! I not only shaved my “down under” area, but I shaved my chest, my armpits, and even my bum!

You have done well, boi. Master is very pleased with you.

I feel a wave of happiness roll through my body. As I begin putting back on my clothes, my phone dings again.

Now, show me, boi.

I freeze. I don’t know what to do. Part of me wants to obey, but part of me wants to ignore Master’s request, pretend I don’t read it, or flat out tell Master no. I am uncomfortable. I’ve never sent nudes to anyone before. I’m not even comfortable sending Master a picture of my face yet, (if I ever will).

How am I supposed to just send someone—basically a stranger—something so personal and embarrassing. I don’t have the best built body. I’m not strong. I have a bit of a gut. I have a smaller than average penis. I feel inadequate.

I can’t Master. I’m embarrassed. My body isn’t like the ones you see on this page. I have an ugly body.

I don’t care what you look like, boi. You are mine and that is all that matters to me. Show me. Now.

I get scared. I don’t want to disappoint Master, but I don’t want these pictures out in the world for anyone to see. What if he shares them with someone else. What if I get recognized? What if these pictures come back to haunt me some day? I don’t know what to do.

I’m waiting.

I strip. I snap. I send.

I stare at the phone with anticipation and worry. What will Master say? What will he think? Will he be disappointed?

Good slave. You did a good job. Show me the rest of your work.

I take a few more photos. A couple of my pits and my chest. I don’t snap a picture of my backside. That is one piece of me I want to keep yet.

Great work, pup. You took a big step today. Though, I am disappointed you resisted for so long. I gave you an order. When I give you an order, I expect obedience. Am I understood?

Yes, I’m sorry. I was just nervous and even a little afraid.

When I ask you a question, I expect an added ‘Master’ in the response. I also do not want an excuse. Am I clear?

Yes, Master.

Good. And do not think I forgot about that clean-shaven ass of yours. I want to see.

Without thinking I quickly send the picture with the message:

Yes, Master. Sorry, Master.

He waits a good 5 minutes to respond. Keep in mind I’m still naked in my bathroom, staring at at my phone intently as my palms start to sweat a little. Then, his name bolds in a commanding black.

Good, boi. Now that is a nice peach.

To be continued . . .

Prelude

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

[feitclub]

In The Cards

It all started with James Bond, the arbiter of worldliness and all things cool when I was just a kid stuck in suburbia. The movies were frequently shown on TV and I made it a point to watch them all over and over again. One of my early favorites was Live and Let Die: the theme song kicked ass, it was Roger Moore's first film so he would never look more handsome, and the movie was full of straight-up magic. The bad guys have a fortune teller on their side, and she can seemingly see everything James Bond will do, even from a great distance. The key to her abilities, aside from her being a virgin (which Bond *ahem* takes care of) was her use of tarot cards. Drawing randomly from this special deck of cards, she could literally see the past, the present, and the future.

I had never heard of tarot cards before but I knew I wanted them. I could not have been older than 12.

When I got my hands on a deck, likely from a book store at the mall, there was an instant level of disappointment. The tarot cards in the Live and Let Die had a very specific look to them, and I had presumed that was just how all tarot cards would look. The deck which I bought (received? I don't remember if my parents were in on this) looked different. All the cards were there, but the art I had expected was not. The biggest difference that stood out to me was the "Death" card: in Live and Let Die that card has a super badass drawing of Death-incarnate wearing a suit of armor while riding a Pale Horse as all manner of human beings knelt or simply fell before him. In my deck, Death looked like a cartoon skeleton without clothes or a horse as he literally reaped the grass with a scythe. I am not here to judge aesthetics, but if you see something in a movie and you end up buying something else, especially as a kid, that's not going to sit right.

(I have tried to use modern search engine tools to discover what kind of deck I had: it was easy to figure out that Live and Let Die used a kind of Rider-Waite-Smith deck, but I think I might have ended up with a variant on a Marseilles deck - exactly which variant, I could not say)

Artistically it was a let down but the appeal of the tarot cards only increased as I learned more about them. First, I discovered that the deck was huge with 78 different cards: the big-picture cards that were featured in the film with names like "The Lovers" and "The Fool" were part of the Major Arcana, but there was also a full set of Minor Arcana which resembled playing cards: four suits, lots of numbers, and several face cards. Secondly, every card had two different "readings," depending on which direction the card faced when drawn.

78 cards, all with two different meanings, meant memorization. As a kid, I was all about memorization. In elementary school my friend Sasha and I tried to memorize the Periodic Table and I think we made it to the lanthanides. When I discovered the joy of watching professional sports, I made a point of memorizing all the teams - by division - in all four major sports leagues. Then I started memorizing the championship winners (and the runners-up) of each major sports league for the last ten years...then the last 20. These tarot cards were going to be my new thing, I could feel it.

I started carrying the cards with me wherever I went. As a kid in school this was easy since I always had a backpack on so the size of the cards meant nothing. Sasha and I (we had watched Live and Let Die together, so this became a team obsession) each had our own deck and we both would take turns drawing cards and looking them up in the little booklet that came in the box. I can remember taking them with us on a school trip to Boston and when we weren't in awe of the historical sights (do I need to tell you we were both nerds?) we kept up our tarot studies while walking around town. On one occasion, just as we drew a card and the booklet said it meant "danger," a car honked its horn at us. We were walking in the middle of the street! Clearly, the magic was real.

The tiny booklet also included a recommended layout when "reading" the cards. The lady in the movie just turned them over one at a time and everything made sense to her, but instead these instructions had us laying out ten different cards in a pattern where each card has a different relationship to the reader. Today I can tell you this pattern is called a "celtic cross" and it is only one of many, many shapes and patterns that can be used, but preteen me did not have that information. I had clear directions: to read the cards I had to flip over ten of them and explain them all.

Before I knew it, before either of us were really ready to be doing anything like this, I remember both of us became tarot card readers at our synagogue for a Purim festival. At the time I didn't think anything was weird, but in hindsight I am impressed that no one raised an objection to kids bringing such a thing into the synagogue so we could be fortune tellers. I should say that we were members of a Reform Temple and I cannot recall ever hearing words like "blasphemy" or "occult" used by our rabbi or anyone else in authority; it stood in contrast to all those self-described Christians I would see on TV who were mad about evolution being taught in schools, talking animals existing as characters in children's books, or anything else we might read in a Chick Tract (which come to think of it, we also discovered around this time while riding Metro-North trains into New York City).

My tarot reading habit did not last; Sasha and I had a falling out of sorts and other things just became more important than these strange cards. My deck sat on a shelf in my room for years until I moved out of my childhood home. I cannot say for certain but it more than likely did not leave with me. But my curiosity surrounding the tarot would linger in my mind and resurface soon enough just as my next big obsession would come along and reveal itself to be tarot-adjacent: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

When I discovered JoJo via a fan-subtitled bootleg VHS in the late 1990s, I had no idea the six episodes of anime I just saw covered only one small part of an ongoing (to this day!) manga. The story, as presented on the tape, started in the middle of the action. A lot of it did not make sense, but I latched onto one element right away: every character had superpowers which were embodied - literally - in a spiritual version of themselves on screen and all these alter-egos had tarot-related names: Star Platinum. Hierophant Green. THE WORLD. There wasn't much connection between the card names and the powers they possessed, but it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. If I had still owned a deck I might have started imagining other powers for the other cards not shown on screen (not knowing that they were all represented in some fashion in the original manga).

Leap forward another - gosh, twenty years? - and my tarot fascination never really went away. When I see a Kickstarter or an Etsy page for a new take on tarot cards, I often take a peek at what ideas are on display. A lot of them are just...porn-y. Some are cute. But I'm old(er) now, I don't have the raw enthusiasm I did when I was in 7th grade and the prospect of magic playing cards just made perfect sense. I see daily horoscopes on Japanese TV which I recognize aren't "real," how could I scoff at one kind of fortune telling and then pick up a deck of tarot cards?

Except...who cares if it's "real." What does it matter if these cards are, ultimately, a random assortment of quality art? It's been three entire decades since I first saw them and I'm still deeply intrigued. Part of being old(er) is coming to terms with your own tastes and biases; I no longer need to apologize or feel shame for liking old pop songs or macho action movies and if I've always had a feeling that tarot cards are cool, that feeling is correct.

There's also the feeling that I know so little about tarot cards that I cannot possibly pass judgement on people who use them. I recently started testing a Body Positivity mobile app that uses tarot cards as a means to spark self-reflection and, well, body positivity. The tarot cards in the app are not "real," they're not even physical. They're just drawings on a screen. But the drawings are nice, and if flipping a virtual card over can have a real impact on my own mind, who's to say what flipping real cards over could do?

Even though I felt a need to write all this down, I'm not actually seeking permission here. I already made up my mind and bought a brand-new deck of tarot cards. It's here, next to me. I’ve opened them. I try to draw a few cards whenever I have a chance, but I don't know where this reignited interest will take me. Will I start memorizing them all, again? Will I have another car-honking-its-horn-at-me moment? Maybe I'll just enjoy them aesthetically (they are very nice-looking if I may say so). I don't know what will come next any more than these cards do, but I know I like having them here and I want to know more. At the very least, tarot cards have already taught me an important lesson: I know better than to try and read them while walking in the middle of the road.

---- I shared this story with my Patreon supporters before posting it publicly. Want to help me write more things? Join today: patreon.com/feitclub Ko-fi works too: ko-fi.com/feitclub

[mumsiebeaver]

Recently as I’m sure you’ve noticed if you follow me on any kind of social media, I have been feeling a bit poo. Now as I let the understatement of the year sink in I’ll move on to self care. No I don’t mean drowning ourselves in Lush baths every five seconds and sitting in silence for thirty minutes swearing blind that we are meditating when in reality all we are really doing is wondering whether we remembered to take tea out of the freezer to defrost… I mean the importance of looking after ourselves.

I blather on about mental health a lot, damn near constantly in fact seeing as this is a mental health channel(!), but my obsession with it doesn’t make it any less important! Since Dad was diagnosed with cancer I have felt like nothing is in my control anymore and so have really struggled to see the joy in anything really so taking what I can from the little moments that I give myself really do mean the world.

So “what is self care to me then and what in God’s name does it have to do with big pants you big loon?!” I hear you cry from the other side of this screen. First of all – harsh. Secondly it’s a subscription box! Before you ask no I wasn’t paid to say how awesome this is, it’s just something that has genuinely helped me to feel a bit less crappy, although the wonderful Max did send me a fantastic pair of pants!

The Big Pants Club is a monthly subscription of handmade underwear that gets delivered to your door. As each month is a surprise fabric, it felt like Christmas had come early when I was opening my first parcel sat on my sofa. Take a look:

  Firstly, look how cute that little sticker is! I love little details like that and the fact that after I had got the outside packaging off (which has my address on and as much as I love you guys I’m not quite willing to share where I sleep with you quite yet!) I was even more excited to find I had a whole new layer to go – I’m a kid again!

I might not have known what the fabric was going to look like this month but Max sure as hell didn’t disappoint me! Inside was the cutest little pair of pants with little strong men on lifting old fashioned weights – I absolutely adore them! They had their first outing on my big ol’ butt the next day when I went to work and as said big ol’ butt will assure you they are super comfy!

I mean look at that pattern – and that chest hair is the best thing I’ve ever damn well seen! For £6 a month you can get a new pair of handmade underwear a month, which can of course be made in all manner of sizes, if you’d like to sign up to the subscription service then click here . Again I would like to emphasize here that this is not an affiliate link and I’m not getting a percentage of anything or any of that jazz, I was just sent something that I love and want to share with you lovelies 🙂

FYI – they don’t just make pants! Go check out their Etsy page which shows all of the goodies they have on offer. I also like to stalk their Facebook page as this is where they post all the pictures of different orders like this rainbow dinosaur that I bought my boyfriend for his birthday!

AND if you do choose to subscribe then take a photo and post it on your Instagram with the hashtag #BigPantsClub and you could win a £5 voucher to spend at their Etsy store!

Overall I was pretty excited about some undies and thought you might like them too 🙂 Hope you’re all well guys and that you had a great Christmas and New Year and again, thanks so much for baring with me during massive periods of absence while I search for inspiration – depression kind of sucks it all away! But snazzy undies seemed to help!

Have a great day guys!

Big Pants Club! Recently as I'm sure you've noticed if you follow me on any kind of social media, I have been feeling a bit poo.

[sammisincostumeagain]

Fanime: Then vs. Now (2017)

I’ve been going to Fanime since my junior year in high school back in 2009, and a lot has changed--much of it for the better.

So, this year at Fanime was almost a completely new experience for me. I’ve been steadily improving as a cosplayer each year, adding onto my costumes and learning new crafts and techniques. I have been a huge fan of the Legend of Zelda for years, and every time a new game releases I try to make the best costume I can for the new release. Usually I have one or two other costumes for the other days of the con, but the Legend of Zelda was always a constant.

I’m not going to go on about why I identify with Link and why I feel so at home in Hyrule, because that could have its own post. What I do want to talk about is the huge shift in cosplay culture and my own experiences since I first started attending.

Before I ever went to Fanime, I attended tiny cons at my local college or in San Francisco. Anime started gaining serious traction with youth when I was in middle school, and the first series I ever saw was InuYasha. It inspired me to draw, and I’ve always loved dressing up. For two straight weeks in high school my senior year, I wore a different costume every single day despite my stepmother picking on me for being a ‘weirdo’. Hey, I may be a weirdo, but at least I’m nice.

I started learning to sew my junior year, but I wasn’t good enough to make my own costumes yet. I was a thrifter, and I got a green tee shirt from my boyfriend (because he’s a long and tall, it was a tunic on me), a pair of cargo shorts and a huge buckle belt from Goodwill, and I made myself an attempt at a hat. I did not have a sword, and that year when I went to Fanime I didn’t have any fun. I was from a poor family and had begged for money for a ticket, and I realized while there that the people with really good costumes were having the most fun. It made me nervous to talk to them because I was embarrassed at my costume. I almost didn’t go back, but I got into Chobits and thought I could make a really cute Chi because even though I don’t have amber eyes, mine are hazel.

Two years later I went back to Fanime on my second college grant and didn’t go as Link. I went as Chii, which was pretty cute, but only one person took a picture and I didn’t have a good camera. The picture you see above is the only memory I have of the cosplay. I also went as Sailor Jupiter that year, and had used a white one-piece bathing suit, sewn a cute capelet with a ruffled trim and a couple of satin bows, ordered shoes online and sewn white lacing to them, and ordered some cat’s eye cabochons to use as crystals. I even made an awkward-but-almost-good wire wrapped tiara. That year a lot of people took pictures, but I didn’t remember to ask for contact information or business cards and I lost out on all of that costume. I learned a lesson that year.

The following year I got really serious. I went to Joann and bought some thin, olive-green suit lining and decided to make a real tunic and do a Twilight Princess Link. At that time, that was my favorite Legend of Zelda game. I was in a ceramics class in college and had sculpted and painted my own Majora’s mask and a Deku Mask, which I still proudly own, and I was excited to show it off. This was around the time my boyfriend and his family moved to a bigger property too, and they had a workshop that we were able to use. My boyfriend was getting into leather and wood working, and we made the shield together. I reused my pants, boots, and belt and made the tunic and hat from scratch, and then ordered a plastic sword online which was similar in shape to the Master Sword and painted it to look like it. I got a ridiculous amount of attention that year, got countless pictures taken and this time remembered to take a lot myself, but I still forgot to ask for contact information from those who photographed me. I was not very good at posing either. I was so excited, I was like a kid in a candy store; every picture had me wearing a stupid grin like a little kid, but I loved it. People thought I was adorable.

Then I got a Real Job™ and decided to kick it up a notch. I wore TP Link I think for two years before Hyrule Warriors was released. I knew if I did that costume so soon after the release it would be popular, and I craved the attention because I didn’t have a ton of friends who had this interest in common with me at the time. I wanted to do something impressive, and the new Link had new items I would have to make from scratch. I was already disappointed that I couldn’t go the year Skyward Sword came out, so I swore I would do this one. I reused my belt, cargo pants, and boots and made a tunic and scarf. I used outdoor acrylics (FolkArt makes the best) to paint the gold and green trim and the details on the scarf, and then I made the hat. I also got a decent foam sword and reused the shield. Next was the pauldron, and back then I wasn’t familiar with foam or worbla work and didn’t want to use cardboard, but I found inspiration in polymer clay sculptures on Etsy. I bought a pound of polymer clay and some spray on paint and hand sculpted the thing at my desk at work on my breaks, using a stencil I had sketched out myself. That year, there were barely any cosplayers from the game and few people cared that I was there. Maybe 10 pictures were taken. But I loved the way I looked and felt in the costume. I was still motivated and wore the same costume again the next year, and wasn’t bothered by the lack of photos because people still wanted to chat with me.

This year, I had less than 4 months to make this costume. My now-husband is an established leatherworker and has picked up a lot of techniques in foam working and even electrical over the last couple of years. Starting at the Breath of the Wild US release I got a crash course in all of these as we desperately tried to craft multiple props and accessories, all while battling depression and anxiety and trying to escape our abusive families. We had limited time to work and limited money as we were trying to move out, but couldn’t find any suitable roommates. Still, we worked up until 6:30 am the Friday of the convention and were on the road 4 hours later.

This year was a wildly new experience for me. For the first time, 90% of my costume was completely handmade. I had more detailed props than I could carry, and my reception was so different from any other year. I lost count of the number of people who wanted pictures of or with me, including several adorable children, and I even had four professional photo shoots. I had a good phone camera this time as well, and I had learned a couple of things in previous years. First, I had learned what the difference between “costuming” and “cosplaying” was and tried to act more like Link. Less smiling, don’t always look directly at the camera, and practice poses. Second, remember to get business cards and contact information from people when they take pictures. Finally, friend everybody and tag everything because we all like to be appreciated. I had every single part of the costume, and I had the bow and Ancient Arrow so I could do poses from the posters--something that was recognizable. JC pretty much made everything and I sort of just painted and tried stuff out. We made something more original and impressive: the light-up Ancient Shield.

Not only did a massive number of people want pictures and give me compliments, but four separate photographers wanted to do professional shoots with me where they requested action poses, natural poses, took panoramic photos of the whole costume, took photos in photogenic locations (like near trees and flowers), and happily handed me business cards. I was stunned. I don’t consider myself a pro by any means, so I was flattered. I had almost decided to go blonde for the costume since my hair is so hard to stuff int a wig, but I would have either had to pay $200+ or chop all my hair off and so I just stayed brunette like in the previous years. I’m also not a blue-eyed girl; I have hazel eyes, so that’s not exactly a match and I don’t know how to get ahold of a good set of contacts yet. Despite that major lack of accuracy, I was wildly popular and people consistently asked me about the construction of my costume and props and I was so excited to answer questions. Early on in my cosplay “career” I had known somebody I considered to be a friend who was very good, and youhave probably met her; however, when i asked her for help she would ignore me and I had to learn everything myself. I didn’t like how that felt, so I resolved not to be like that. I openly give information on costume construction.

Normally I only go to Fanime, and that’s just one time a year. I used to be too broke to attend more events than that, but since I got promoted last year and I’ve gotten more and more into art and crafting I’ve decided to try and dedicate more time to it, even in my turbulent life. JC and I are far from stable at the moment and have to scrounge for opportunities to practice our art, but I never thought I would ever be this good. So I think that’s the moral of the story; you might start out just assembling pieces and think you’re never going to be as good as the best cosplayers you encounter, but as long as you keep trying new things and challenging yourself then you’re almost guaranteed to get there eventually. Don’t lose your motivation.

I met a bunch of Breath of the Wild cosplayers, and one other Link stuck out to me in particular. In general her cosplay was a lot more accurate than mine, but she didn’t really have any props. She didn’t feel that confident about the costume, but then a photographer caught us after the meetup and asked her to take a picture with my bow and ancient arrow, not realizing that they were mine. I handed them to her excitedly and was like, “Go, go do it!” and she was like, “Are you sure?” But she took it and had her first serious photoshoot right there with the pro photographers. I got another photoshoot out of it too, but the best part was that it had been the highlight of her weekend, which also made it mine. I made a ton of friends this year, and that was the best part of the weekend and it really brought me closer to the character I was portraying.

Anyway, sorry for this enormous feelings dump! If you read it this far, I just want you to know I appreciate you and keep working at it! Tutorials are coming soon and I’m always happy to answer questions. I hope you enjoy every con you attend as much as I enjoyed this one.

[julystorms]

5 Things Meme

I was tagged by @hamburger---time. Most of this will be under a cut because uhh...I followed in his footsteps with taking pictures!

5 Things I Keep in my Bag! 

Full disclosure, if there is space in the bag, that space is filled by something. I need to start wearing men’s pants so I can carry a men’s wallet. That’ll show me. In the meantime, I’m not going to show anyone anything especially shocking... I carry typical things in my bag I guess. Chapstick/lipstick, lotion, napkins, scissors, a lot of pens...and these things.

1.) Lanyard with work keys/work passcard. I got the lanyard on Etsy from the artist and yes, it’s awesome!

2.) My glasses. I’ve had the same pair for years.

3.) Keys. I’ve had that hideous “I love my cat” keychain for 11 years (I bought it after I got CiCi).

4.) A BFF zebra. My sister has the other half.

5.) My wallet, which has so much crap in it that it won’t close. Sticking out of it are postal receipts (kept for the tracking, ofc).

5 Things I Keep in My Room!

My bedroom is an absolute mess. It’s on the list for a thorough cleaning this weekend. I try to keep the rest of the house pretty orderly, but the bedroom is where it all falls apart. Hah!

1.) While I was getting ready for work, The Fluff was enjoying some Blanket Time. I couldn’t bear to move him even to make the bed...!

2.) Stuffed animals. My small dog son, William, and Ecco the Dolphin... Yes... I am very creative.

3.) Braces for my weak ass wrists. These days I tend to think they do more harm than good, though, tbh.

4.) Mirror. I’m leaning against the wall, I swear...not posing. This mirror was my grandmother’s.

5.) CAT THINGS. And uh...more cats... They’re laying in front of the Cat Closet, which is where I keep all the food and treats. :P

5 Things I’ve Always Wanted to Do in My Life

1.) Have a therapy animal to take to nursing homes. I’ve wanted to do this since my mid-teens, but when my grandmother had to go to a nursing home, the idea grew. A lot of people in nursing homes have had to give up a pet, and like honestly letting them interact with a dog or cat or whatever just...lights up their entire day. If I had a lot of money/time I’d want to do a therapy mini horse. ;)

2.) Get back into arts/crafts. I used to do a lot of sculpting kind of stuff, a bit of woodworking... And I mean, I can’t really do carpentry work anymore (RIP), but I have an idea or two for some really cool craft projects I could spend my time on. It’s just...really something that will only ever happen if I can no longer work (due to health or pregnancy or whatever).

3.) Get back in shape. THERE’S NO EXCUSE. I SHOULD ALREADY BE BACK IN SHAPE. And everyone’s like ‘well it’s not like you’re overweight or anything’ and I’m like yes I know but if I get hit with the fibrobat like my mother did, which isn’t unlikely considering I’m getting hit with everything else she’s been diagnosed with, I’ll NEVER be able to do it again so like, before Maximum Pain and Discomfort rears its hideous head I should probably do something.

4.) Write a book. But again, this is only happening if I ever quit my job. I am not willing to work two jobs in this sense.

5.) Grow my hair back out. I keep cutting it shorter again but I think this time I’m going to stick with it. Every time I see someone with long hair I miss having long hair. Shorter hair is easier to take care of, but I can’t do anything with it, and I’m a little disappointed that mine will be too short to do much with when I get married. Anyway, I think I wrongfully blamed bad headaches on the weight of my hair in the past, so it’s time to try it again and see if the headaches get worse or better!

5 Things I’m Into

1.) Pokémon Sun & Moon. I can’t believe GameFreak gave me FBI Interpol Agents with a built-in government conspiracy theory. 

2.) The X-Files. I never would have thought I’d have enjoyed this series but...it got me. It really did. Trustno1.

3.) Animal behavior. Cats, dogs, horses. Give it to me. Bovines, too. I eat this shit up. 

4.) Tumblr RP. Because I never learn. Oops!

5.) My two favorite subjects are English and History so here we have writing + history = written vs. unwritten history. Sign me up for these kinds of discussions; don’t forget that history was written down only by those who were learned enough to actually write it. And that. There is no doubt. It is biased af. And never 100% correct.

5 Things on my To-Do List

1.) Clean the house (thoroughly) this weekend.

2.) Call my mother (tonight hopefully).

3.) Get stuff ready for the big MSHA meetings (tomorrow is the first one).

4.) Figure out what we can do to get inventory more accurate at this company...

5.) Buy a dress for the wedding. (shrug emojis what if I got into shape...first...)

5 Things You May Not Know About Me

1.) I buy dresses and then never wear them. They look so cute and then I put them on and I’m like haaah I look like AN ALIEN.

2.) I don’t have any teeth...but we’ll be talking to a dentist next week about maybe doing something about that.

3.) Pretty sure I have IBS. (TMI, I know.)

4.) My favorite horse breed is the Dartmoor Pony. 

5.) Ketchup is disgusting and a crime against potatoes.

TAGGING: @arthoure, @hikawamaria, @hairjel, @loukarr, @americannoteven, @reservoirite, @poolsidescientist, @everbrilliantheartbreaker, and @kippielovesyou. Optional, of course!

[reagen-reads]

Top 5 Fav. Bookish Shops!

Top 5 Favorite Bookish Shops

          Hey Hi Hello friends, it’s me again. Long time no see, it’s been almost a month since I last typed out a blog post. I’ve said it once before, and I’ll say it again, Uni is an all-consuming maw – devouring any and every chance of actual freedom. Which is why I decided to take a small break for ME-time, I’ll do my homework later! Today I’m bringing you guys a post that I’ve been thinking about for quite some time. Over the past few months, I’ve found myself collecting more and more bookish pins, goodies, bookmarks, accessories, and well.. books. I have OwlCrate to thank for bringing a couple of these shops to my attention, and working with them all has been such a delight. In no particular order, I to present to you all, my top 5 favorite bookish shops! As I say in all of my unboxing videos, let’s get crackin’

          Now if you guys know me at all this should not come as a surprise, as I’m always chatting with this little group of people, we have the ever creative and unique – Raquel’s “The Melting Library.” First, if you have never heard of TML, then you haven’t really been paying attention to mot posts or stories. Raquel – aka the Scent Sorceress – crafts the most wonderful Soy Candles a bibliophile could ask for! I’m a HUGE candle freak, I would even go as far as to say Candle Dragon – as my collection has grown to the size of Smaug’s treasure hoard. For the past few months, I have had the amazing opportunity to be one of Raquel’s Reps for TML. Over this time, my collection has grown from a Niffler’s secret stash to a Dragon’s hoard. Raquel is without equal when it comes to her bookish scents and candles, if ever I have a custom candle idea, she always knows which scents will pair best. She is constantly inspiring us with her label designs, and she genuinely cares about the input and suggestions made to her. She even includes little quotes inside each and every jar, taking the time to make every step of the process magical. As difficult as it may be, If I had to pick my favorite scents, they would be Night Bazaar, Welcome to Hogwarts, Kowalski’s Bakery (sampler), and Pippin’s Pint! Be sure to check out her shop, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. 

Link to Raquel’s shop: https://themeltinglibrarystore.com/

          Moving right along, I have another inspiring woman to gush about. A woman that I have had the opportunity to work with, and though our time together has been brief, I already know that she has a customer for life. Benita – the original creator of BookBeau. Benita taught herself the craft that has taken the book world by storm, out of necessity. Like most of us, she brought a book with her everywhere she went, and unfortunately along the way she found that books need protection from the elements! Our precious paperbacks need armor! That’s when Benita taught herself how to sew, and created the first BookBeau! Talk about a woman who knows what she wants, and works for it! BookBeaus are a bookish accessory, NAY necessity that I use on the daily. I’m always on the go, whether it’s my commute to Uni, traveling to far off lands, or just on my way to work – having a Beau to protect my precious paperbacks is essential! Each Beau is made purely out of love, from one bibliophile to the next! I will always support those who have made something out of necessity, who strive for success. Benita just wants you to use the Beau, and love it. Pretty easy to support somethin’ like this huh?

Link to Benita’s Etsy Page: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BOOKBEAU

          Next we have another shop that I have always been interested in, but only recently became obsessed with – Obvious State.  Obvious State is a studio based out of NYC, crafting literary treasures for book-lovers all over the world! From bookmarks, to mugs, to calendars, prints, tote-bags, notebooks and more – each piece is dripping with beauty and literary aesthetic. Recently, I received a calendar from OS and I have already been asked by many friends and family members where I bought it. From there, I purchased three of their Greeting Cards – specifically their “Fair,” “Pathless,” and “Silver” designs – for a few of my friends on Bookstagram. They arrived in no time flat! Honestly, I was so surprised and overjoyed at the short amount of time that it took for me to receive them! Overcome by their beauty, it was tough to send them on their way, but a handwritten card from a friend is something too magical to keep to yourself. As of this past week, I have already ordered another Greeting Card, and their “Bloom” Bookmark Set. Each member of the team over at OS is so incredibly talented, and their customer service is always on point. I highly recommend that you check out what they’ve got going on, check out some of the amazing projects they’re a part of too!

Link to Obvious State: https://obviousstate.com/

          How do I begin this next introduction? This chick and I go waaaaaay back. I’m talking ‘baby Bookstagrammer Reagen’ back. A lady that I have literally scheduled a future kiki with – in full on Victorian attire, wigs, tea and all. Someone you may have heard of: Mrs. Evie Seo! Also known as EvieBookish on Instagram. Aside from being a full-time, wonderful Mother, Evie runs a successful blog and Society6/Redbubble store. She is so super hardworking, and despite everything that’s thrown at her (haters, etc.) she still continues to inspire us! All of her designs are so unique, colorful, and warm. I may or may not have a plethora of throw pillows and I’m definitely the go-to-guy when it comes to bookish mugs, solely because of Evie. I think I’m starting to see a trend here, successful women who know what they want, and take it! HELL. TO. THE. YES!

Link to Evie’s Society6: https://society6.com/evieseo

          Last but certainly not least, is a subscription box that I have always admired – Anissa’s very own: FairyLoot! When I heard the words YA+Fantasy+Monthly Box – I lost it. Being a huge reader of fantasy myself, the idea of a monthly subscription box curated around a book of this genre, packed with goodies, blew my mind! Certainly the box alone drew me in, but then I learned that on top of managing everything that goes along with a monthly bookish subscription box company, Anissa is also pursuing her Masters Degree! And here I thought that finding time to read after my part-time job and three classes at Uni this semester was difficult! Yikes. AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE FAIRYCHAT’S organized over Twitter? I could gush about these Boxes all day, and about how magical they are. If you have been in the market for a bookish subscription box, that values communication with its subscribers and provides top quality goods, look no further! There are so many ways to start your FL journey, whether it’s a single Box purchase, or a 3-6 month subscription, FL’s got you covered. Here’s the link to all things FairyLoot and how to get started: http://www.fairyloot.com/

 The overarching theme, I’ve discovered in this post is the power of Women! Inspiring, hard-working, diverse, successful women! 2017 is FEMALE & DIVERSE, and I am here for it.

 -      Reagen

[topicprinter]

Hey - Pat from StarterStory.com here with another interview.Today's interview is with Nick Fortosis of Geo 101 Design, a brand that sells cork mapsSome stats:Product: Cork MapsRevenue/mo: $2,000Started: October 2017Location: Zeeland MichiganFounders: 1Employees: 0Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?My name is Nick Fortosis and I am the founder of GEO 101 Design, a company that specializes in creating one of a kind cork maps with modern minimalist aesthetics. Our goal is to turn your love of travel into your own personalized home décor.Founded in late 2017, I run the business by myself and manufacture everything in my garage workshop in West Michigan. We have been steadily growing and are currently doing roughly $2000 a month in sales through our website and our Etsy shop.imageWhat's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?I am an engineer by day, but ever since I graduated college, I found myself looking for something to do in the evenings that didn’t involve sitting on the couch watching television or playing video games. I started exploring woodworking and soon found a way to combine it with my electronics background through CNC machining.I purchased a CNC router kit and put it together in my basement. After I had it up and running I was left with the realization that I didn’t have anything in mind to make with it! I slowly found little projects to make and started to increase my creative skill sets. I began to think about what I could make to sell, but still didn’t have any ideas that seemed to fit.I made some marble hexagon coasters for my wife for our anniversary. While they didn’t use the CNC, they were simple to make and were trendy at the time. I decided to sell some on Etsy. I was pretty paralyzed with indecision and lack of confidence in creating a product with my CNC so I used this as an opportunity to dip my toe in the water with a low risk product (started with $200 in supplies and have bootstrapped everything after that).It was slow for the first two months but then it took off (after adding professional photos). In the first nine months I ran that store (it was called Geometrikos Design), I had over $15k in sales. I put the shop on hold for the birth of my first child and started things up again a few months later, but by that time, people had caught on to how to make them and several competitors had popped up. It wasn’t completely detrimental to my business as I had a better product and a streamlined production process, but the newcomers were pricing theirs too low to compete with (a common problem on Etsy). While I was still profitable and making sales, I was ready to find something with a bigger moat and bigger profit margins, so I shut the shop down permanently.As this was going on, I still found time to tinker with my CNC. Once my friends caught on to what my machine was capable of, the requests started pouring in. Many of them are avid travelers, and wanted something to show off their travels, so I started cutting maps for them out of plywood. They looked pretty good, but weren’t very functional (needed nails to attach pictures or souvenirs) or very unique. This is when I got the idea to try and cut one out of cork. Cork is more visually interesting than plywood, plus cork is sustainably harvested and eco-friendly.imageTake us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.I have a rather unorthodox method of designing a new product. I need to establish my constraints first. So I started with what my limitations were and worked backwards until I could configure a product to meet those restrictions.My biggest constraint was time. By then we were awaiting the birth of our second child and to maintain a work/life balance (since this is in addition to my day job), I started to give myself time constraints. I wanted to create a product and run my business using less than 4 hours a week. So the goal for me was to try and make as much money in as little time as possible. This is where the CNC shines.While the coasters needed significant physical labor, for my maps I could program the CNC and have it run while I worked on something else, potentially doubling my output. I spent a lot of time optimizing my design so it would cut faster and with a better finish.Then came the pricing. I didn’t even make a prototype before I ran the numbers and found a material and price point I felt would be profitable and competitive. I used the popular pricing formula of (material + labor costs) x2 for wholesale and x4 for retail. If the end number was too high, I would look for ways to either make it faster or find cheaper materials.Describe the process of launching the business.Towards the end of my marble coaster days, I simply added my first US cork map to my Etsy shop. It didn’t fit the shop theme, but I just needed to see if it could sell. Within 3 weeks I had my first sale. I only sold 1-2 maps a month that winter (late 2017 to early 2018), but as it started to increase in early spring, I began to look outside of Etsy where I could have more control of my product and audience.imageIn February of 2018 I bought a domain and started my website using Shopify. It was really slow at first. I was completely responsible for directing traffic to the site and I was not very good at it. My first design of the site looked cool to me, but it was not set up to convert well. I was almost going to give up on it, but I did a small redesign with a more straightforward style, and I started getting sales, mainly through my instagram account. Not many at first, but enough to prove that my product could sell.On a whim I posted a picture of my maps on reddit. My daily website traffic that day exploded from 20ish visitors to over 1500! While many of the visitors were more curious than looking to buy, I really didn’t make any money off of the extra traffic, but it did open up some unique connections.Shortly after my post, I was contacted by Touch of Modern, a popular men’s fashion/flash sale site. They wanted to feature my maps in an upcoming campaign. The catch was that I needed to have over 50 maps created and ready to ship before the sale started. I think I had only $1500 in my account at the time but I decided to go for it and spent $1200 on material to boost my inventory (I usually keep little or no inventory and make maps to order). The sale went live in June and I sold a grand total of 8 maps. At first I was pretty disappointed, but it ended up being a blessing in several ways.First, was it forced me to streamline my process. I was able to iron out all of the kinks in production and found a few tricks that significantly reduced my cycle time. Second was it gave me a healthy inventory which came in handy a month later when a bike accident left me with a broken collar bone and five broken limbs. Instead of trying to make maps with one arm and on pain meds, all I had to do was slap a shipping label on the box and set it out for pickup. Without that inventory I would have had to shut down my shop for 2 months while I recovered.Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?First and foremost, I believe professional photos are absolutely essential to getting people interested in a product. Without them most ads are going to be completely useless and social media accounts will be dead on arrival.My instagram posts brought in a lot of initial business. I made sure to engage and like and comment on my followers posts and hashtags I followed. I found a lot of interest in National Park lovers and hikers, so I would find popular accounts and engage with the commenters on their posts.imageI also started offering custom maps, since my CNC can basically cut any shape. I currently use an embedded Google form, but am working on a more streamlined approach.imageI tried Facebook ads a few times, but even with doing research, my campaigns all fell flat. I got to the point where I had to admit that I am just not good at writing ad copy and am basically gambling with my ad money. I found Google Shopping ads much more successful and easy to use. No copy or creative content is necessary, just a product photo. I started using Shopping ads right before the 2018 holiday season and my orders exploded. I was getting an ROI of over 300%.imageThis last spring I tried out Instagram influencers with varied success. I had a few that I was able to turn a profit on, but it was pretty modest and the work to find and vet them was too time consuming, plus subsequent shoutouts from the same accounts produced diminishing returns.imageHow are you doing today and what does the future look like?My goal has always been to double revenue year over year. We are on track to double our sales this year and get to $30k annual revenue, and hope to grow to 60k next year. While everything is great now, I worried that I would soon hit a wall where my mediocre marketing skills would hold me back.imageI recently contracted a local marketing firm to help increase my sales. My budget is on the low side ($500 a month) but the hope is to ramp up slowly and take advantage of the holiday surge and position GEO 101 Design to continue its growth rate into 2020.The biggest challenge I am facing now is designing a cork map of the world. I get custom order requests for it weekly, yet it has proved very difficult to design a map that matches the quality and detail of my other maps and still be reasonably priced. Just this week I think I had a breakthrough with a new material supplier and if it proves out, I hope to have something ready for production by mid-September, so stay tuned!I am also trying to create products at different price points. My current maps are high quality and have prices to match. I want to be able to offer something cheaper that may be an easier impulse buy. I also get a lot of requests from companies looking for very large maps (8ft+ wide), so I hope to figure out the logistics and necessary tools to make and ship larger products as well.In anticipation for the Holiday season and future growth, I have slowly been assembling a second CNC router. This will effectively double my capacity without adding any more to my weekly time allotment. According to my calculations, I should be able to scale to roughly $116k in annual sales before I need to seriously expand or modify my work schedule.The last thing I am working on is getting my website to generate more revenue than my Etsy shop. Last year it was roughly 30/70, but now I am approaching 50/50. At this point Etsy is easy money so I won’t shut it down, but I stopped paying for ads and now push all new people to my website instead.Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?Running a business like mine is definitely a learning by doing exercise. The problems and obstacles I have faced, I never could have predicted. For example, the first year I had a large amount of maps that arrived at their destination broken or damaged.I had to scramble and figure out how to pack them better. There really weren’t any resources I could find that had packaging tips or guidelines, so I basically had to keep adding padding and protection until the complaints stopped. Thankfully I finally figured it out and have had only 1 damaged map this year so far, but it took a lot of unforeseen work to get to this point. You will never be able to predict all of the problems you will face, you just have to get started and deal with them as they come.It's also very important to price your product wisely, leaving plenty of margin to account for unquantified costs. You are going to have to deal with customer returns, raw material price increases, fraud, shipping rate hikes, electricity, gas, and dozens of other costs you never planned on. You don’t want any of these things to sink your business so you need to give yourself a cushion from the very beginning. I believe the formula I listed above is a good start, but each business is unique so do what works for you.What platform/tools do you use for your business?I have used Shopify ever since I began using my own domain. I have kept my toolset pretty minimalistic. To be honest, I think most of the third party Shopify apps are pretty overrated for businesses just starting out in ecommerce.I have no doubt they can help optimize and increase conversion rates, but if you don’t have a solid product and good understanding of all of the built-in tools Shopify has, the extra plugins aren’t going to make up for it.What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?I’ll try and avoid the obvious ones that seem to get cited here over and over (for example, How I Built This)I have always closely followed the maker movement, which has influenced a lot I do. The Making It podcast is a great resource on setting up a shop and getting started selling your product.The Made for Profit podcast is even more focused on the business side of making, though they spend a lot of time talking content creation instead product creation.A book that I really enjoyed but I haven’t seen mentioned here is called “Boss Life: Surviving My Own Small Business”. It is the journal of an owner of a small woodworking business and goes into great detail about the day to day challenges of running a small business.Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?Fail quickly. Don’t worry about setting up the perfect website and the perfect product on day one. Focus on getting a minimum viable product to market as quickly as possible. And when you fail, figure out why and learn from it. Avoid just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. Your chance of success should grow over time if you continually improve and recalibrate based on your mistakes and failures.This also goes for money. You don’t need a huge bankroll or enormous inventory to get started. Bootstrapping your business can be slow going, but the risk and stress you avoid is worth it and helps you grow sustainably. Plus it makes you think before you spend. Throwing money at problems rarely fixes them at this stage.Where can we go to learn more?https://www.geo101design.com/https://www.instagram.com/geo101design/https://www.facebook.com/geo101design/info@geo101design.comIf you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!Liked this text interview? Check out the full interview with photos, tools, books, and other data.For more interviews, check out r/starter_story - I post new stories there daily.Interested in sharing your own story? Send me a PM

[eatpraylovenfaith]

Finally! My long-awaited post is here! Sorry that it has been a delay cos my time was mostly occupied with work and family. So since I’ve some time in my hand today, (yay to finishing PTMs and case conferences) let me get some blogging done. Firstly, I would like to apologise for the lack of pictures for some vendors as I’m still waiting for the official photos to be ready.

Catering/Decor/Bride’s Room – Vynella

Working with Ella & husband has been a breeze. The food was yummy! (As told by my friends and family members) The dias/pelamin that I wanted was easily delivered by them. I particularly requested for the hexagon at the back to add a touch of modern to the whole setting. I’ve also requested Vynella to do up my bridal room and boy, I was not disappointed! In love with the corner of the room and also the fairy lights behind the curtains!

        Credits: Vynella’s Instagram

Favourite corner of the room

 Credits: My own

  Bridal – The Wedding Brocade

At the initial stage of our wedding preps, Anuar and I have already decided that we wanted Wedding Brocade to be our bridal. The mak andam/MUA , Eza was punctual, super friendly and easy-going. Her makeup skills were really the main reason why I look how I did on my nikah and sanding. Even my friends were impressed with the look. She doesn’t only make me look beautiful, she also made me feel beautiful! Hence why I chose her again to make me up for our post wedding shoot (still pending). Totally looking forward to working with her again. Here’s some pictures that Nafimages have sent us the day after the sanding.

Credits: Nafimages

Photography – Nafimages

Who doesn’t know Nafimages. He’s also one of those vendors where we have decided upon at our initial stage of our wedding preps. Do take a look at his Instagram page and you’ll know what I mean. He worked together with Harun on both my Nikah and Sanding day and I’m thankful that we have chosen Naf. They are a fun bunch and photo taking with them was such a breeze. Looking forward to our post-wedding shoot!

Credits: Nafimages

Videography – Redtape Projects 

This is also one of the vendors that we have decided upon at our initial stage of our wedding preps. Nafimages and Redtape have a lot of history working together hence why the chemistry that they had on that day was nothing but fun fun fun! They were extremely friendly. I didn’t get to catch the names of the videographers but once I do, I’ll definitely give them a shout out!

Kompang – Akrab

Love love love their performance! Definitely a fun bunch and they definitely put up a great show at both sides of our event. Definitely, no regrets having them to perform on our sanding!

Bouquet & Wedding Car – Cherriesmitten

Since there is a collaboration of Cherriesmitten and wedding brocade, there are no delivery charges for the bouquet. (YAY!) Cherriesmitten has done it again with their lovely bouquet for my event. They also have provided a great driver for the wedding car. He was accommodating and even went an extra mile to ensure that our event was smooth in terms of transportation. However, I do agree that our wedding car is on the pricier side but I have no regrets taking them due to the great service that they have rendered.

Dulang/Trays – Ola Lola

I have seen Ola Lola works most of the time when I attended my friend’s wedding hence why we chose to get them to decorate our dulang/trays. Arfah is such an easy-going lady and her work has definitely met our expectations. The items are also very secure and it feels safe handling the dulang/trays around.

Credits: My own

Henna & Henna party – Qfcreations

The girl who have the same name as me! One of the reasons why I chose her was because she is Anuar’s friend’s wife and the main reason why I get her was because of her work! Totally in love with the floral design that she did on me and of course the amazing dark stains of her henna. My bridesmaid had a great time and in love with the designs of their henna too. Qf even gave a balm to protect my henna from any contact with water and a spray to ensure that the henna stays wet and stays on my hand longer. Hence why I chose her to do my henna for our post wedding shoot too!

Credits: My Own

Wedding cake – Spatula Bakery

Anuar loves their red velvet cake hence why we chose Spatula Bakery! The designs and the taste of the cake definitely are the main factor why we chose Spatula. Never a disappointment!

Credits: My own Disclaimer: Cheesy picture of us (HAHA), please focus on the beautiful cake.

Wedding card – Kadlawo

With affordable packages and beautiful card designs, choosing Kadlawo has definitely been a great decision. The only con is that we have to take the time to travel to JB to choose our designs and to collect them.

Credits: Kadlawo

Bridesmaid Kit – DIY/The Hanger Artist

I personally DIY the bridesmaid kit. YAY me. I bought some of my items at carousell (the box, mini perfume), SASA & Watsons (biore wipes, wet tissues, tissues, safety pins, hair clip, plasters). I got my cloth/kain at Batam (I can’t remember the name of the shop). I got my hangers at The Hanger Artist. I chanced upon them/my friend recommended me to them because of their great reviews. Their service was the best and they have exceeded my expectations. Do take a look at their page on Facebook and you will be amazed. I’ve gotten my personalised ‘bridesmaid card’ on Etsy and I am in awe of the card quality and workmanship. We also have gotten the wax seal from carousell and I had lots of fun just stamping the seal on the wedding card.

Credits: My own

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my bridesmaids and groomsmen for making sure that our event went smoothly. I can never thank all of you enough and may Allah s.w.t repay all the great deeds (sweat and tiredness) that you all have given us on our event day! I love every single one of you! Thank you! ❤

  Credits: Nafimages

This is the longest post I’ve written so far this year. Will definitely look forward to updating more once I’ve received the official photographs from Nafimages. Do leave a comment if you have any questions regarding the vendors stated above. InsyaAllah I’ll do my utmost best to answer.

Till then, have a great Ramadan!

Aqh, x

Vendor Review Finally! My long-awaited post is here! Sorry that it has been a delay cos my time was mostly occupied with work and family.

[eggshapedchapstick]

50Q Meme

I (MorbidDelusions) got a bit creative and tired of there being no new BJD meme/questionnaires out there so here, 50 questions for you to have fun with!

-Thank you, I shall.

—-

1. Have your tastes changed in sculpts over the years?

Yes, but not much, as I still like many of my “old” dolls. I did start to like 1/8 dolls more and for 1/4 I prefer realistic adult mini’s.

2. Do you have pre-made characters for the dolls that you get home which must fit a certain description, or, do you get them home and let inspiration hit?

A little bit of both. I see a doll I like, create a character and when they get home they alter that or change it completely.

3. What do you do when you get hooked on a particular sculpt and want it home right here, right now but can’t as you have to save or some other reason?

A) Save up and see if I can sell anything. B) Be sad. C) Hope I will get a second chance.

4. How many dolls are too many to you personally? That number keeps rising xD

5. What are your thoughts on dolls with already pre-existing characters from movies/books/cartoons/etc.?

If that is your thing, go for it. I can incorporate elements of pre-existing characters, but I don’t like to make an exact minime of them. Except for my dog. I got a mini human version of my dog.

6. Acrylic, glass or urethane? And why?

All of them, depending on what your doll needs and your personal budget, but I do prefer glass over acrylic and urethane over glass. Urethane has more life to them, they are more vibrant and available in more options. What my doll wears depends on what I planned for them, also.

7. How much does yellowing bother you? What is acceptable before you want something done to liven up that old yellow resin skin?

I am always a little disappointed when I notice mellowing, but I know it is inevitable. I would hate it if my doll would turn into a completely different color than when I bought them, and not into a color I like. Like some Bambicrony’s have, going from light cyan to yellow-green. So far, my dolls are okay. I would take action when the mellowing would really bother me. If possible, liven it up, or otherwise sell it.

8. What are your thoughts on anthro BJDs vs actual animal BJDs?

I love anthro’s. I blame the cartoons from my childhood. 

9. How small is too small? How tall is too tall? Or does height even matter to you?

Everything over 50 is too tall. Everything under 10 is too small, unless it is an animal bjd. I’m more likely to go smaller than go bigger. Big dolls take in a lot of space and I find them scary (yes weird, I know).

10. Do you talk with your resin buddies while painting them, dressing them, just because?

Usually only in my head, but during one shoot, I was telling my doll she had been “a good girl” out loud. When I realised that, I was glad nobody heard me, lol.

11. Do you have a doll you love but will probably never have because finances or impossible to get?  

Yes, an Angelheim Jin. I didn’t order him when I had the chance. He was a limited and the company is gone. I haven’t seen him on the MP like ever.

12. Do you have a favourite clothing company where you go and buy clothing and/or shoes from?  

Yes. I love Mimiwoo for shoes. I also shop at Etsy a lot. Amai Fantasy, Raouken and many more.

13. Your favourite pair of shoes you ever got home? Picture please!  

The one she’s wearing. Click.

14. Favourite accessory and, again, picture!

Her wand. It’s awesome. Click.

15. How many times have you had to redo a face-up in a day?  

3, and it still looked like crap (I was a newbie back then). I send my head to a face-up artist soon after. I have since painted faces to my satisfaction, usually in the course of several days.

16. Ever sat screaming and cursing at your sewing machine? Or even if you’ve sown something by hand? Tell us a bit about one of those silly outbursts!  

Oh yes. I’m afraid of the sewing machine. The cursed beast keeps eating my fabric and quite frankly, I don’t know how to use it properly. So, I have sewn by hand and have had things fallen apart or not fit right etc. I have stabbed myself with a needle (on accident) and welp, sewing is not really my forte.

17. In the past year have you had to find homes for some of your resin buddies?  

Not in the past year, but I’m trying to sell a body at the moment and have sold other dolls before.

18. Have you ever made any miniature furniture of any kind or do you prefer to buy it?  

Yes, I made a miniature witch cabinet (okay filled with bought items), pencil, books, jewellery, miniature scratchpole, attempted to make stuffed animals + tables + beds, broom, mop, head accessoiries.

19. What would you do if one of your dolls went green or banana yellow? Would you try and salvage the damage somehow by mods and the like, or would you reinvent their character?  

I’d try to salvage them if I didn’t like the color.

20. Ever got two dolls or more home in a year?  

Yes.

21. Are there a certain theme going style/face-up/accessory/other wise? Or are they all fairly different from one another?  

All of my dragons are painted by Puppit Productions and have a stone reference of sorts. Also references to fairytales, alternative fashion and a majority of long haired cuties.

22. How much is too much to pay for a doll/how little is too little? And why?  

No price is too low. I don’t buy recasts and expect legit companies to ask a reasonable price. I quess 800 is my max.

23. Do you do mods? Show us some of your work! Would you do them on rare/limited sculpts?

Yes, but I shouldn’t. No thank you. No, not LE’s.

24. Do you prefer getting dolls home blank so that you can do your own face-up, or, do you prefer to have the company paint them for you?  

Depends on what I want for that doll.

25. Do you keep up with the various companies releases, events and the like?  

I have. Now, not so much.

26. Ever hated having to cover up a body with clothing because the sculpting was absolutely divine and you’d rather just be able to watch all that naked glory for all time?  

Not really. I can imagine it though. I would keep that doll naked then.

27. What is your favourite wig brand?  

It used to be Leekeworld, but now, I don’t know. Everything seems to be hit or miss.

28. How many pairs of shoes do you own for your dolls?

Some of them have multiple pairs. Lets just keep it at that.

29. How many wigs do you have for your dolls?  

Too many! xD It takes time to find the right kind of wig and you are bound to buy ones that are pretty, but not suitable for that specific doll, but it might be a good fit for a future doll, so that is how I ended up with many wigs.

30. Do you have a favourite set of clothing? Do you own it? And if, picture please!  

Multiple sets actually. I don’t own all of them. I love my Souldoll Nova’s full set.

31. Do you have a favourite outfit you’ve made yourself?  

Yes, but it fell apart eventually. Click.

32. Ever commissioned someone? And what for?  

Yes, for face-ups, clothes, eyes, accessoiries and wigs.

33. How many pair of eyes do you have, spare and in use combined?  

A lot. Not as many as I have wigs, but quite a few.

34. Ever called in sick because of an incoming package?  

Nope.

35. What have been you longest wait? And the shortest?  

3 months - a year.

36. Do you prefer shooting single shots or group pictures?  

Single! Multiple dolls are cute but there is a high risk of dolly domino.

37. Do you prefer male or female dolls?  

Female.

38. Ever had that one piece of accessory you could never quite find and are still searching for years later?  

Yes, a yosd sized bong, because I have dreamy eyed dolls and I think that would be a hoot.

39. Ever had trouble settling for a sculpt for a given character and had to buy multiple sculpts home before finding that perfect one?  

No.

40. Do you keep a journal in where you write all of your doll related ideas and plans even if they wont always come to fruition?  

Yes.

41. Ever shot some naughty naked/nude pictures? If not, why?  

No. Except for one to show bodyblushing I had done.

42. What are the longest time you’ve had a layaway running? If you’ve never done one, why are you refraining from making use of this service?

I think three months?

43. Do you mind not being able finding a whole lot of pictures of a given sculpt you want home or do you like it’s exclusivity?  

I have bought dolls that don’t have many owner pictures / didn’t had any at the time. I like owner pictures, they can help. However, sometimes you just have to take a chance.

44. Are you more of a share all the pictures type of person or more of a keeping them all to yourself and only share a select few?  

I don’t share all of them, but probably more than I should strictly speaking.

45. How good are you at sticking to your plans if, say, you told yourself you only were to bring home one more this year and then go on a break?

We shall see. I’m not allowed to buy more without selling one. I hope I can stick to this plan.

46. What doll body is your favourite?

Souldoll NL body. Poses like crap, but it is very pretty.

47. Who in your resin crew has gone through the biggest transformation since arrival?  

My Aileendoll Pico Baby Ashes. He has part of his belly removed. Click.

48. Do you pamper some more than others?

Yes. The ones who don’t have a “uniform” of sorts. Some rock one outfit every day, others have multiple outfits. It also takes some a while to find the right look, so they have had multiple wigs, clothes, shoes etc.

49. Ever bought something (dolls, clothing, accessories)  that looked amazing in the pictures but turned out to be nothing like it upon arrival? 

Yes, a mohair wig. When it came, it had a obvious bald spots that could not be hidden with styling. Also, I bought a Dollzone Maca head with face up that was disappointing.

50. What are your continued plans for this year?

To not buy a doll, without selling another.

- By MorbidDelusions

[sammisincostumeagain]

Update: Garnet’s Jumpsuit

So, originally I had intended to make the jumpsuit myself from a vintage sewing pattern I had, but I actually found one on ebay that nearly matched style except for being long-sleeved. I ordered it and when I received it, the jumpsuit was a little less orange and a little more red--sort of a dark salmon color. It was also pretty shiny. I figured it still wasn’t bad. My first time doing a costume is rarely ever perfect.

This weekend I didn’t get much done again; I bought white outdoor acrylic to paint the new tunic for Link and I did remove the sleeves from the orange jumpsuit. I also ordered some mold release, since I forgot to pick it up in town again. That’s about it. I’m in the process of pinning the open armholes and I think I’ll just hand-stitch them. I can do that at my desk.

I wanted to do more yesterday, but I don’t know what happened. I got up at 9 am and sat in bed writing and discussing commission work on my Etsy, then JC and I went out for lunch and I got a malt (unwise, since it was pretty much my first meal of the day) which gave me a terrible stomach ache and then I was so sleepy. We went to Peet’s coffee to draft some plans and I kept nodding off at the table. I don’t drink coffee myself, so this was a problem. We went home together and I sat on his bed, and next thing you know I’ve conked out for three hours.

Today has been much the same so far. I still feel like I could take a nap. It’s 11 and I’ve spent the morning working on this jumpsuit and trying to think of more jewelry ideas for my shop.

The most frustrating thing is the lack of space here; there is no surface in my house large enough to draw my pattern for either of the garments I need to make, and the sewing is perhaps even more time consuming than the prop making. Most of this stuff can be made in an afternoon--with the right space and equipment. My friend has a dining table that would be perfect, but as I think I’ve mentioned, it’s off limits until later this week.

I’m kind of disappointed that I didn’t have the opportunity to make Garnet’s jumpsuit myself, too. I still can’t read a pattern to save my life, and I found somebody in town who could teach me, but I don’t have the money anymore. Every check there’s some financial crisis or another, so it’s hard to catch up and stay on track. Hopefully things will mellow out after I move, but I’m starting to doubt that will happen.

Either way, I’ll be making progress, but for now it’s slow going. Here’s what I have left to do:

* Draw/cut pattern, fabric for Link’s tunic and Beatrix’s Coat * Make 3 leather belts for Link, one for Beatrix * Cast Garnet’s pendant in resin, possibly create iridescent top coat and LED case on the back * Form sword from wood/foam for Link, Beatrix * Form shield for Link using foam/wood * Make polymer negative, mold, and resin cast of bow/arrow details for Link * Make a Sheikah Slate using foam/polymer * Make Beatrix’s eye patch using foam * Make leather boot cuffs and single bracer for Link

Not a long list, but each item could take a day or so on its own. Here’s hoping I finish it all in the next 3 months.